HEADLINES
US strikes narco vessel; narco-terrorist killed
Gaza Eid hardship amid price crisis
Northern Israel braces for Hezbollah fire

The time is now 11:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, US Southern Command announced that earlier today, May 26, at the direction of General Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force-Southern Spear carried out a strike against an alleged narco-trafficking vessel operating in the Eastern Pacific. Intelligence indicated the vessel was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route, with one suspected narco-terrorist killed and two others survived, all believed to have been members of a designated terrorist organization. Following the strike, search-and-rescue assets were notified and launched by the US Coast Guard.

In Regional Impacts, Eid celebrations in Gaza are clouded by hardship as new clothes, sacrificial sheep and Eid biscuits are unaffordable or unavailable. Nadia Abu Shamala, a Gaza resident, said she goes to the market only to look around because she cannot afford anything and prices leave her heartbroken. Despite a US-brokered ceasefire that began in October 2025, Israeli air strikes remain common and about 80 percent of Gaza’s buildings were damaged in the war, with most of the population relying on aid for basic needs. Israel controls entry points and allows aid trucks through in limited numbers, contributing to still-high prices and shortages, according to NGOs on the ground.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, schools remain shut across parts of the north as residents accuse officials of normalizing a dangerous routine, with Kiryat Shmona weighing protests and Nahariya hospital preparing for further escalation. Residents of Shomera, Kiryat Shmona and Ma’alot-Tarshiha say daily life under Hezbollah fire has become unbearable, and they are demanding stronger security, economic aid, and a concrete plan for the northern frontier.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is aiming to appoint his hardline aide Caroline Glick to serve as Israel’s next consul general in New York, replacing Ofir Akunis. Glick, a US-born former conservative pundit and long-time adviser to Netanyahu, would lead engagement with US Jewry but faces backlash from Reform Jews and some Israeli officials due to past criticisms of Reform and Conservative movements. Her alliance with the current coalition and potential tenure beyond the fall depend on the outcome of the upcoming election. Separately, Israeli police say there are no grounds to reopen the Mishchakei Hevra case into the singer Eyal Golan, with Major-General Balat expected to inform the State Attorney that there is no need for further investigative action; investigators say no new evidence would change the case and it remains closed for now.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Australian Jews testifying before the Bondi Commission report online harassment and intimidation, with Virginia Bell, head of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, warning that such conduct could lead to prosecution and that police have been alerted in at least one case. The commission is monitoring and archiving online posts as it continues hearings into the December Hanukkah attack in Sydney that left 15 people dead. In the United States, the Department of Justice filed its second lawsuit this year against UCLA, accusing the university of tolerating a hostile antisemitic environment for Jewish and Israeli students in the wake of the October 7, 2023 massacre. Brought under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the suit seeks policy reforms and could pursue penalties, including the potential loss of federal funding; it follows an earlier suit over antisemitic harassment of Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff, expanding the focus to students and campus climate.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
https://t.me/DefenderDome/20949
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/no-feasts-no-joy-gazans-mark-dark-eid
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syhgut7xgg
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hytrkaxgml
https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-seeks-to-tap-hardline-aide-critical-of-progressive-jews-to-serve-as-ny-consul-general/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-897402
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-897410
https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-administration-files-fresh-suit-against-ucla-over-antisemitic-hostile-work-environment/
https://t.me/JewishNews24/54852